RELEASE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI November 18, 2010

The Burmese military dictatorship, although they held an election recently, released Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in which she has been held for 15 of the last 20 years. Why have they released her now?
She never got to say much to her supporters. BBC News reports:

Aung Sang Suu Kyi had to struggle through the throngs of jubilant supporters to reach the podium where she was supposed to speak. Thousands had gathered to hear her.

They were probably expecting Ms Suu Kyi to make clear what she planned to do now that she was free – in the event she asked for help. She said she could not do it alone, and was “ready to work with all democratic forces” – an appeal perhaps to an opposition bitterly divided over the recent election here to unite once more.

She told the crowd she believed in the rule of human rights and the rule of law and felt no antagonism to those who had kept her detained for much of the past two decades. The basis of democratic freedom, she said, was freedom of speech. But she cautioned that if her supporters wanted to get to where they wanted, they had to do it the right way. “Do not give up hope,” she added.

Ms Suu Kyi’s words were measured and careful, she will know that the military leaders who rule this country will be scrutinising her every move and today she was careful not to provoke them.

In her brief interview with John Simpson, she said it was certain that Burma will get democracy one day.

Another short quote from Aung Sang Suu Kyi:

The only real prison is fear. And the only real freedom is freedom from fear.

There could not be a more ruthless dictatorship on Earth than the Burmese rulers, yet they hold back from harming ASSK.